One year after the passage of H.R.1 and the creation of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), The Rural Impact revisits one of the most significant policy shifts affecting rural healthcare. Host Michelle Rathman is joined by three nationally recognized rural health leaders to discuss what's changed, what challenges remain, and where opportunities for innovation are emerging.

In Part One, Michelle speaks with Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), who evaluates the first year of H.R.1. Alan explains why he would currently give the program an "Incomplete," noting that while funding has reached states, many are only beginning implementation. The conversation also explores Medicaid payment reforms, work requirements, and ongoing concerns about rural hospital sustainability.

In Part Two, Jed Hansen, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, Executive Director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, shares a frontline perspective on rural health transformation. He discusses Nebraska's priorities, including workforce development, technology, behavioral health, and food security, while addressing the challenges of Medicaid work requirements and sustaining essential healthcare services, as well as Veterans’ access to healthcare.

Finally, in the debut of Voices of Impact, Michelle welcomes Kait Guild, Assistant Director of Mobile Health MAP and The Family Van at Harvard Medical School. Kait explains why mobile healthcare should be treated as essential healthcare infrastructure and highlights the need for long-term sustainability as states expand mobile health services through Rural Health Transformation funding.

This episode was made possible by our partner, The National Association of Rural Health Clinics.

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics in Louisville, Kentucky, September 28 through October 1, for the NARHC Fall Institute, the only national conference designed exclusively for Rural Health Clinics.

Whether you're new to the RHC world or a seasoned leader, you'll gain valuable insights, make meaningful connections, and discover practical strategies to help your clinic thrive.

Register today at NARHC.org.

For more than a century, why has rural America been described as being "in crisis"? In this thought-provoking episode of The Rural Impact, host Michelle Rathman sits down with historian and author Steven Conn to explore the myths, realities, and historical forces that continue to shape rural America.

Drawing from his book Lies of the Land: Seeing Rural America for What It Is—and What It Isn't, Conn challenges many assumptions that dominate conversations about rural communities. Together, Michelle and Steven examine how America's founding ideals, military expansion, industrial development, corporate influence, and public policy have shaped today's rural landscape, and why understanding that history is essential to creating stronger rural futures.

The conversation explores why the idea of a perpetual "rural crisis" may be rooted more in national mythology than historical reality, how economic development strategies have often left rural communities vulnerable, and why policies surrounding healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, broadband, and economic investment must account for the realities of low-density living. Conn also offers a compelling distinction between rural "space" and rural "place," emphasizing that thriving communities are built through people, connection, and intentional investment—not simply geography.

This episode was made possible by our partner, The National Association of Rural Health Clinics.

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics in Louisville, Kentucky, September 28 through October 1, for the NARHC Fall Institute, the only national conference designed exclusively for Rural Health Clinics.

Whether you're new to the RHC world or a seasoned leader, you'll gain valuable insights, make meaningful connections, and discover practical strategies to help your clinic thrive.

Register today at NARHC.org.

As artificial intelligence expands and the demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, rural America is increasingly at the center of conversations and controversies over energy production, data centers, land use, and economic development. But who benefits from these projects, who bears the costs, and how can rural communities ensure they have a meaningful voice in decisions that will shape their future? In this episode, Michelle Rathman welcomes community and economic development expert John C. Shepard for a thoughtful discussion about the opportunities and challenges surrounding data center development and the growing demand for energy infrastructure in rural communities.

Together, they examine why data centers have become one of the most significant and controversial topics facing rural leaders today. The conversation explores how local governments can balance economic development with responsible land use, environmental stewardship, infrastructure planning, and community quality of life. Shepard explains why transparency, comprehensive planning, and strong local governance are essential as communities navigate proposals from large corporate developers seeking land, water, and power resources.

The discussion also highlights practical strategies for local officials, planners, and community leaders, emphasizing the importance of asking questions, building partnerships, protecting community interests, and ensuring rural communities remain active participants, not passive recipients, in shaping their future.

This episode was made possible by our partner, The National Association of Rural Health Clinics.

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics in Louisville, Kentucky, September 28 through October 1, for the NARHC Fall Institute, the only national conference designed exclusively for Rural Health Clinics.

Whether you're new to the RHC world or a seasoned leader, you'll gain valuable insights, make meaningful connections, and discover practical strategies to help your clinic thrive. Register today at

NARHC.org.

RESOURCES:

- https://www.brookings.edu/articles/local-implications-data-centers-rural-communities-us/
- https://jcshepard.com/2026/06/the-full-energy-picture-in-2026/
- https://www.narhc.org/narhc/Conferences.asp